


Rocinante, Sweetheart (Razorback, Baby)

by stardustlings (kas2umi)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Expanse, Light Angst, M/M, Science Fiction, Spoilers, This plot deserved a whole year of my attention, and i am sorry for i have failed the mods and myself, but sadly all I could give it were few busy months
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-01 19:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12711618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kas2umi/pseuds/stardustlings
Summary: Political unrest is shaking the Sol system wherein Kyungsoo is a Ceres-born Belter detective and Jongin a student activist turned OPA agent. They create a supernova, almost quite literally.





	Rocinante, Sweetheart (Razorback, Baby)

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  _**(a short note)** _   
>    
>  _written as a self-prompt for the 2017 round of exonautfest! a venture into theexpanse!au with a generous amount of artistic liberty, so be warned. i wish to thank the ever-so awesome mods for a lovely journey that led to this point of posting - you did an awesome job (thank you for your patience and understanding as well >.<)! ♡_

**Sometime 2472, Ceres Station**

Of all the jobs in the Belt, Kyungsoo had to get the worst one.

Being a detective was not that bad, not at all. But it was a shitty job with a shitty paycheck. The few good things it brought included knowing each corner and crook of the Station as well as the countless rats populating it.

Don’t get things the wrong way - Kyungsoo was after all a Ceres-born Belter just like many others on the Station, but there was simply something about the people there that made him quite uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the fact that at times he felt no connection to the beltalowda whatsoever, who knows. Do Kyungsoo most certainly didn't. And as his water ration ran out in the midst of rinsing his hair for the second time, he cursed out.

You see, the most important thing about the belters was that no one gave a shit about them apart from the belters themselves. Born and raised in low gravity, as if some sort of guinea pigs - tying them to the surface of the Station for life whether they were the rock hopping type or rebels hand in hand with the OPA.

And now the damned water thieves. He sighed out.

-

To Jongin, Razorback was not just an ordinary ship. Twice the size of regular transport trawlers and just as faster - a true racing gem gifted by his father years ago.

The Earth, as beautiful as it was, never quite sat with his need to explore and get more involved with the people populating the Sol system, so Jongin did the only thing he knew.

Breaking out the silk cocoon weaved by his father was the best thing that’s ever happened to him and Jongin knew it came with a cost. Whether he was ready to pay that price or not didn't matter - racing through the Belt made him feel more free than ever.

Being the youngest child of a man whose strings reached to every part of the Sol had its benefits (Razorback was his baby) but the thing about being the heir to the most powerful conglomerate was that certain rules had to be respected and political views had no place in the whole story - money and power were after all the main currency in Jongin’s family.

He was an idealistic kid who just happened to dream bigger than he should have, status quo was after all the golden one.

As he was docking onto Ceres he wondered would it all be worth it in the end. The rebelling, the run and the chase - is the final outcome going to overshadow the fact that in order to help those that Earth has looked down on for generations he had to abandon the life as he knew it and stab his own father in the back?

Kim Jongin, at the age of 27 and with a quite impressive piloting resume, had no idea.

 

**_One Month Prior To The Eros Incident, Ceres Station_ **

“Kyungsoo, you know that this is off the books and to be done in your free time? “ Junmyeon, his superior, was not a man of many words but those few he'd speak were always crystal clear. But there was just one thing Kyungsoo didn't quite understand and he voiced it out with a grunt.

“So what, now I have to babysit across the Sol? Since when did that become a job for the police not to say a detective like myself? “

“Stop whining,“ Junmyeon sent him the file, not even looking up to acknowledge his displeasure. “It's a job that will get you paid quite generously, I don't think you're in a position to refuse it. “

Well, the man had a point. But it was still lost to Kyungsoo why would a business tycoon want Star Helix Security of all looking for his rebelled offspring - off the books. “I am not, “ Kyungsoo paused while reading the received file. Just another rich kid playing hide and seek, he thought to himself and huffed. “And after all, how hard could it be to locate a brat and ship them off to  _Luna_? “

Junmyeon dismissed him with a shake of his hand. -

“It is really beyond me. “ Minseok was trying to catch his breath - damn rats were getting too fast for his liking these days. “What?“ He eyed Kyungsoo as the later was restraining a belter.

“The water thieves. Does it make any sense? Stealing water when it's already been rationed to the hydrogen atoms themselves. “

Minseok tried not to laugh. “To them it makes a lot of sense. Else why would they be crawling through these God forsaken tunnels for barely few liters of it. “

It made him angry and tired. But mostly tired. Chasing the belters on Ceres as they try to scavenge whatever possible was not quite the fine print of a  _“Come join the police force now! “_  brochure. But, as Kyungsoo had a feeling he would be reassured quite soon, certain things in life came without the contraindications printed on them.

-

“Are you saying my father is behind all of this?” Jongin sat with his forearms against knees, the sound of defeat (or was it disappointment?) evident in his voice. Sure, he knew his father was more than capable of many unorthodox things, but even he had to draw the line somewhere. Or so he thought.

Jongdae, the proxy and the leader of the OPA’s branch on Ceres eyed him warily. “Will that knowledge have impact on your role in all of this? Because if it is -” Jongin cut him off with a stern dismissal. “If anything, it helped me see the bigger picture and how crucial it is to find out what is really going on here. The fact that my father is orchestrating all of this is making me more resolved.”

“Here’s your contact,” Jongdae sent the file to his hand terminal. “He’s the best data broker i’ve had on my lists and he can be trusted.”

Pulling up the information Jongin set up a meeting at one of the docs. Looking up, the man was smiling as he lit a cigarette. “Everyone can be trusted for the right amount of money.”

Jongin knew he was right. After all, he himself could only name few people that wouldn't sell themselves out and even in a situation like this he still wasn't sure if his own name was on that same list.

He didn't hate his father, the Earth. It was more of a discomfort and no sense of belonging in vast office spaces and a position of a hair to a conglomerate. He wanted to make a difference, and wanted to make it count. Belters have spent generations under commands of people that had no real idea what it was like to live in the Asteroid Belt - let alone survive in recent conditions. It was a struggle, a daily one.

“What happens after we find out what it is?” Jongdae knew what he meant.

“We take a stand. OPA takes a stand. And we take that independence from them at any cost.”

-

Alcohol was never the solution but to Kyungsoo alcohol was always the solution. Those first few gulps would burn at the back of his throat, the rather familiar sensation the past few days (weeks).

The Station was growing more restless each day - his on field hours as if doubling with all the crap Belters were trying to pull off. Kyungsoo understood resistance, it was after all human nature, but just how many times could someone stand up and try? All to be trampled upon; attempt after attempt.

And the babysitting job, let’s not forget about that.

Why would someone abandon a perfectly great life to be soaked into the stench of the beltalowda? It had to be a way of rebellion in itself - a way to get on his father’s nerves and later ask for a new racing toy or something. Fucking rich kids, he smirked mentally.

But a job was a job, and it was definitely  _Kyungsoo_  to be on the winning side, or at least the one that pays well.

The lock beeped as his terminal overrode the password. The neighborhood where the flat was located was a decent one, all fake blue skies and chirping birds. It was a decent size, he couldn't help but notice as he made his way inside. The only thing that bugged him was that the place seemed to have been vacant for more than a while. No cups on the tables and counter-tops, no clothes sprawled atop the minimalist furniture.

But the water ration tank was full, so Kyungsoo knew this had to be his lucky day. And what was meant to be just a quick wash of his hair turned into a 15 minutes long shower.

The place didn't feel like home (neither did his own apartment, but that was different) and he assumed it was just a short resting spot of some sort - the boy continuing his voyage to another destination.

Pulling out his terminal he turned on the voice modification and logged into the message data. The most recent video message was from the boy’s father and it was not anything he didn't already know about Jongin, apart from the fact that his initial impression of the boy was wrong - the boy was sympathetic to the Belter independence and his father had begged him to come back home and stop it all.

The sound of a rolling wheel startled him as much as it annoyed him; a puffy robotic hamster running on it as if gone mad. His curiosity getting the best of him, Kyungsoo stood up from the couch and walked towards the cage - a small patch of peeled artificial fur getting his attention.

The hamster was rather calm as he took it out and inspected the tear in his anatomy. The missing patch was deeper than what an accidental tearing would make and he put two fingers inside; the detective side of him buzzing in excitement of finding something important.

A data cube, roughly ten millimeters in diameter, was not something he’d expected.

The animal squirmed and he released it back into the cage, the black object in his palm feeling strangely heavy despite its size. And as he turned around to face the windows a life-like hummingbird caught his eye. It was an eerie feeling, his gut screaming at him about something, somewhere, and the only thing that crossed his mind was not a reassuring one.

_‘What has this kid gotten himself into?’_

 

**_Ten Days Prior, Ceres Station_ **

Jongin thought he would be ready when they finally unveiled the truth, he really did. He was prepared to see lists of shady side businesses, one or two hit lists. The data brooker was more than efficient in his work and in less than a day after their meeting he had informed Jongin that the data has been obtained and decoded.

 _‘Phoebe Station Research’_  file was the one that caught his attention.

“Isn't Anubis a stealth ship?” He eyed Jongdae as they scrolled through the data file. It contained multiple dates and course coordinates as well little to none info about the actual research the file name had implied.

“It says here the Anubis will be transporting something from Phoebe Station to Eros.” Jongdae frowned upon reading the last part. “Eros? What could they possibly be transporting to Eros, the shithole of the Sol, that’s so damn important it needed multiple levels of encryption?”

Jongin shook his head. “I have no idea. What were they researching at Phoebe in the first place?”

“Rocks?” Jongdae cracked a half grin and Jongin laughed. It was silly, laughing in a situation as serious as the one they were in, but he couldn't help it.

“Yeah sure, classifying rocks would need to be encrypted heavily.”

Another laughter joined his own. And then a single sentence registered in his mind as he scanned one of the email exchanges between two of the researchers located at Phoebe.

_‘Project in development that will shift the balance of power in Sol.’_

Jongin knew it could only mean one thing. But all the images of destruction and knowledge of the arsenal Earth had in its possession came nowhere near to the fear that gripped his being at the next word he forced himself to utter.

“A protomolecule.”

The following few hours were a mess.

The knowledge that his father was financing a research station that might've produced a mass destruction weapon was not as easy to take in as he thought it would be. Shifting the power balance in Sol always meant one thing and that thing only - the bystanders would suffer the consequences. And in this case it was the whole damn Asteroid Belt.

The many video calls made with the head of the OPA and several other people had Jongdae sporting a headache. “They need a plan right now. The ship is still docked to Phoebe! We can’t afford to lose it-”

“Jongdae.” Jongin addressed him calmly, surprising even himself. He still didn't know much about the man or if he had any ulterior motives behind his status as the right hand of the OPA leader but at the moment, even if there were any - it wouldn't have mattered.

But he couldn't go against himself, against his own principles.

Jongin knew it was stupid idea. From the moment it formed inside his head to the exact one it reverberated throughout his throat in front of the proxy. But something deep inside him needed this, needed to help. Needed to stop his father and join the beltalowda in their fight for freedom. He knew it was a decision he wouldn't regret but at the same time he felt he wouldn't even have a chance to do so.

“Let’s intercept it.”

 

**_Four Days Prior, Ceres Station_ **

The news of a mining ship Canterbury being attacked by a Martian freighter rocked the station. The Outer Planets Alliance now had a new face to represent their cause - the surviving crew of the ship with a certain Park Chanyeol as their captain. The already violent unrest grew even stronger, if the body count in the morgue was anything to go by. Kyungsoo knew it meant only one thing - more paperwork.

It proved to be difficult, focusing on work the past few days. The data cube from the apartment had yet to be decrypted and everything seemed just, off. And one of few good things the detective job had taught him was to always trust his instincts. Instincts that somehow had him stumbling into a corpse of the data broker the Andromeda heir had met up shortly before disappearing completely.

Minseok was not pleased.

“Care to explain why are we desecrating a body?” Kyungsoo paid him no attention and continued his search for the memory crypt. An audible gag from his partner made him sigh in defeat.

“First of all,” he wiped the blood on the white sheet. “We are not desecrating anyone. Second, we’re investigating.”

“Investigating? Your own side gig? Not to mention with the Helix resources and equipment.”

“I need this memory crypt. This guy,” Kyungsoo pointed at the dead body of the data broker. “Sold some quite important information to the kid i’m trying to find and considering the gunshot wound in the middle of his damn forehead, it was something he was not supposed to do.”

Minseok eyed his hand terminal. “Well, wrap it up.”

Another precise cut had the chip in Kyungsoo’s palm. “Done. What’s the hurry?”

“The boss wants to see you.”

“He can wait. I need to get this decrypted as soon as possible. “ The detective had a grin on his face as he eyed Minseok. “Still keeping tabs on that guy we let go a few months back?”

-

One of the rats that owed him a favor proved to be quite useful when it came to data extraction and decryption. Hell, Kyungsoo thought, the kid was fast. Which proved to be of essential value once he began reading the files from the memory crypt and the data cube.

Apparently the kid left Ceres on the Scopuli, one of OPA’s racing ships, and after that all traces of him were gone. The Scopuli also made a distress call to the Cant mere minutes before it was destroyed.

It made no sense. “Why would OPA attack one of their own gold mines?”

Minseok was as lost as Kyungsoo.

And then he read the research files. On Phoebe Station, Anubis. An OPA agent by the name Kai. And everything in between up until the Scopuli’s plan to intercept the Anubis and take charge of the ship - take charge of the bio-weapon it was transporting.

His mind went back to Jongin, all smiles in the photos of the file he had received when he took the job in the first place; this was never a rebellion of a rich kid against his father. It was a suicide mission.

Kyungsoo felt his heart sink.

“Junmyeon needs to hear this.“

-

Kyungsoo found out by that  _‘to see’_  Minseok forgot to mention  _’to fire’_. Which is exactly what happened as soon as he stepped into the man’s office.

“You can’t do this! I mean-” Junmyeon cut him off.

“I just did. Now, I will need your badge and terminal on this desk.”

“Does this have something to do with the case you've assigned me on? Locating that kid?” Kyungsoo tried to stop himself from sounding surprised at the obvious  _‘yes’_  his boss’ body language was speaking.

He knew something was wrong. Everything seemed too coincidental for it to actually be a coincidence - a missing heir, a dead data broker and the whole goddamn restless station.

“I found out what happened! The kid was after a god damned bio-weapon his own father manufactured, it's all in this data cube!”

With a swift move, the cube was in Junmyeon’s hand and then there was a loud cracking sound as he smashed it against the floor.

Kyungsoo’s nostrils flared in rage.

“Drop it. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. That is the final order you’ll get from me, and I sure damn hope you will obey it.”

-

Kyungsoo didn't obey it. More like he disobeyed it in every way possible. He decided to follow the last piece of information he managed to get from the cube; the Scopuli’s interception plan and Anubis’ trajectory.

After Canterbury was destroyed, one single shuttle detached from the stealth ship, and if his source was credible enough, it docked onto Eros Station barely half a day later.

Kyungsoo needed to fix this dead end. One that, on top of all things, cost him his job. So he did one thing he had never done before - leaving Ceres.

It was almost silly, the fear he felt as he boarded a ship to the faraway station.

But he needed closure, and Eros was the point where all the lines have interlinked so far.

 

**_Five Days Prior, Asteroid Belt (Near Phoebe Research Station)_ **

Nothing went as planned, Jongin mused, that much was obvious.

The Scopuli was meant to intercept Anubis and take control of the cargo - as simply as that. In and out, a half an hour job at most, potentially preventing a catastrophic event that would start a series of awful events in the Sol.

But as he took in the confines of the space they've locked him in, Jongin couldn't help but feel claustrophobic.

Anubis ambushed them. He could still feel the warmth of the blood one of the fellow OPA agents had floating around his throat as he tried to save him.

He had managed to send a distress signal before they knocked him out, but it was worthless. The only reason he was still alive was probably that he was recognized by the Anubis’ crew and his father had been alerted immediately. It was all for nothing.

After what felt like hours of punching against the door, the power flickered and they came undone.

“Hello?” Taking a tentative step outside and into the corridor, he frantically searched for any sign of his kidnappers.

The space was empty and silent, eerie even as he moved further towards where the control room would be located, all the while looking for something to hold in his hand in case he had to defend himself.

Taking a turn left, the power crackled again and he had almost missed a figure approaching him in zero gravity.

“Hello? Are you okay?“ Given no response he moved closer only coming to a halt as his eyes took in the state of a body that was now floating mid-air.

He felt as if his scream was heard all the way back on Ceres even though it was physically impossible. All of his fears and  _what ifs_  about their plan going wrong couldn't compare to the sight his eyes fought desperately to make sense of.

Before his mind could catch up with it all his right palm reached forward and brushed the light blue dust off the dead body’s distorted face.

It was almost primal; the electrical pulse that rocked every atom of his being. And pulsating blue was the last he saw before his world went dark.

 

**_Two Days Prior, Eros Station_ **

Kyungsoo’s source had helped him locate the shuttle at the boarding dock. The thing itself held little to none information, but the surveillance cameras proved to be more than helpful; though Kyungsoo had to bash the guard’s head in even after politely asking to see the videos.

He breathed out in relief as the man he saw departing from the shuttle turned out to be Jongin.

“The kid made it out.”

A quick search in the direction he was last seen after the docks led Kyungsoo to the Blue Falcon - a beat down motel that was apparently cheaper than a shot of vodka.

The reception desk was high enough to shield the worker from his eyes until he moved in close enough and the guy stood up lazily.

“I need some information on this guy right here.” He placed the photo on the desk and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, leaning in.

“Haven't seen him.” The receptionist paid no attention to the photo before replying.

Kyungsoo’s fingers itched to punch the guy in the face. Before he could  _insist_  the man checks his logs there was a loud bang and a bunch of men ran inside the lobby guns blazing. Ducking, Kyungsoo moved behind the desk, fist coming into contact with the guy’s face before he could take out his own gun as well.

“Yixing, fucking shoot that cunt!”

Kyungsoo watched as the man in question took out three guys in a single fluid movement of his gun. With the attackers apparently down and dead Kyungsoo heaved a sigh of relief, and raised his hand above his head; just in case.

“Unarmed here.” Kyungsoo moved towards the group when recognition flashed in his eyes. “Park Chanyeol?” What the hell was the surviving crew of Canterbury doing here?

“Do we know you?“ A man, little shorter than Park took a protective stance in front of the man.

“Everyone knows you. The Cant? Your heroic escape and the fact that you stopped a possible war between Earth and Mars?” But what were they doing at the Blue Falcon of all places?

Kyungsoo didn't realize he had spoken that thought out loud until he heard Chanyeol’s response.

“Canterbury was lured in.” The man ran his fingers through the messy strands of hair. “We received a distress call from the Scopuli and our crew was dispatched out to see what was going on. Before we knew it, the Cant was wiped out completely by what appeared to be a Martian freighter. Only later did we find out it was all a ploy to get Earth and Mars at each others necks so whatever was happening on Eros would go unnoticed. We found coordinates on the Anubis - ones that led us here in search for Kai, an OPA agent.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes were wide open by the time the man had stopped talking. Turning on his heel he all but ran towards the reception desk and he grabbed the man’s throat, squeezing firmly.

“You have three seconds to spit out the name of the room this man checked into.” A short pause. “And now we’re at one.”

“He checked in here two days ago. But i swear i haven't seen him since.”

Kyungsoo realized they were after the same thing, after the same person. Both the crew of the Cant and himself came a long way to this point, and he sure as hell hoped the kid had some answers.

Going up to the second floor, Chanyeol - and the shorter man he learned to be Baekhyun - led the way while the remaining two covered their backs in case someone else decided to come in guns blazing.

Nothing could prepare them for the stench as they entered the small room.

Chanyeol and Yixing went in first, guns out and ready to shoot at whatever that came in their way.

Kyungsoo felt empty. It reminded him of those moments where in his gut he just knew what was going to happen, but yet his mind couldn't process those thoughts fast enough for him to have a reaction.

There was a gag from Baekhyun and Chanyeol walked in his direction. “Baek?”

“He's here.”

Kyungsoo noticed there was no excitement in his voice, no relief at finally having found one person that seemed to be connected to everything.

Moving past the two of them he pushed the bathroom door further open, knees giving out at the sight that greeted him. There, in the stand-in shower with his back against the tiles and head hanging low to one side, was Kim Jongin; and all of a sudden Kyungsoo felt more pain in that one moment than he had his whole damned life.

“Don't touch his body.” Yixing’s words broke him out of his trance. “I think this is it. The protomolecule.”

“He had been infected.” Was Kyungsoo’s matter-of-fact statement. “He must've -” his throat constricted painfully. “He must’ve gotten infected on the Anubis.”

It hurt Kyungsoo, looking at Jongin’s face. Of all the possibilities they could have met each other at, this one had never crossed his mind. Jongin’s flesh was in early stages of decomposition, patches of blue and brown adorning the once soft sunkissed skin.

All he could think about was the pain. Did it hurt too much? Does it hurt still?  _Do you regret it all now?_  Kyungsoo wanted to ask but knew he wouldn't get an answer. His right hand trembled for a moment before he grabbed it with the other one.

Before he could ask Chanyeol if there was a chance they take Jongin’s body and give him a proper last goodbye the alarms and warning on the speakers went off.

“We need to leave now! Eros is on lockdown.” Kyungsoo frantically searched for one last option to help Jongin, to make it all as if it had never happened.

All he could do was stare at those empty eyes, accusing and pained.

Kyungsoo wanted to die right then and there.

-

“We need to get to the Roci as soon as possible! I'm picking up dangerous radiation readings.”

Chanyeol cursed. “I think it's begun. Their experiment, the whole reason the Anubis was on its way here in the first place.”

“They were planning to use Eros as a controlled environment while the incident with the Cant and Mars would serve as a distraction from it.” Kyungsoo was pissed off. “Even with the Anubis never docking onto Eres, something did. And it would've been more than enough for them to infect the whole damn station.”

“Kyungsoo, what do you mean?”

“Jongin, “ he almost cried out. “The men that attacked you? They're a part of this. They must've gotten to Jongin as soon as he docked. He carried the infection here.” It was getting harder to breathe.

“The one thing he tried to stop from reaching Eros came here as a part of him, unwillingly completing the controlled experimental infection they were hoping for in the first place.”

Chanyeol had a look on his face Baekhyun had never seen before. “We need to get to the Tycho Station. The OPA will know what to do.”

As they boarded Rocinante, a ship the crew of the Canterbury had escaped with at the time of the incident, first thing Kyungsoo did was throw up in the sink. It had to be the radiation, he tried to reassure himself even as the medicine Baekhyun had injected him with worked out all the side effects.

He was angry. At himself, the most. At Jongin. And at the bastards that decided residents of Eros are to be used as guinea pigs for the protomolecule’s extrasolar lifeform.

He threw up again.

 

**_Four Days Prior, Eros Station_ **

Jongin had no idea how he managed to stay awake.

After his blackout, everything was a blur of motion and silence, even the whole ride he took in one of Anubis’ shuttles.

Docking onto Eros was probably not the smartest idea, but he had to get help. He had to alert the OPA and give them all of the information he had gathered so far. He had to lead them to Anubis and the protomolecule; it had to be secured before anyone could get its hands on it.

His body felt weak, and he barely stumbled towards the Blue Falcon. He needed sleep and food but all of that could wait until he contacted Jongdae.

The room was small, but big enough to serve its purpose until the OPA agents would locate him. Unzipping his body suit, he entered the shower.

Jongin didn't know what to think at the sight of a fresh wound-like patch on his lower abdomen. Pressing his fingers against it all that came out was a bluish substance that prickled against the tips of his fingers. His mind went back to the body he had encountered on the Anubis and his eyes widened.

“No no no!“ He cursed as he banged his fist against the tiles of the shower. “How could have I been so stupid! Fuck!”

Sliding down he gripped his hair in frustration and anger; he was infected with the damn thing. Before he knew it tears were sliding down his cheeks and a sob escaped his lips.

 _‘What do I do?‘_  was the only thought that ran through his mind before his vision started getting blurry. -

Jongin was in and out of consciousness in the two days that followed. His own body had become unrecognizable - the blue of the infection fusing itself with his own flesh. It was repulsive.

All he could think was that no one came, no one cared.

“They left me here alone.“ He cried out with the last bit of strength he could muster.

_‘It was all for nothing’_

There was a fleeting image of Razorback in his mind, racing once again.

And it was the final one before everything stopped.

 

**_One Day Prior, Tycho Station_ **

The rage got the best of him, Kyungsoo couldn't help it.

They've made a stop at Thoth Station before boarding Tycho.

According to the information the OPA provided when they came into contact after boarding Roci, it was a Black Ops station hidden in the belt, one that was used for housing the scientists responsible for unleashing the protomolecule.

Even though the plan was to take the ones found there as prisoners so that they could possibly shed some light onto everything that has happened - mainly the reason behind everything - all Kyungsoo could see was madness. There was nothing but utter fascination on the man’s face as the scientist beamed when he heard that the protomolecule was a successful experiment after all. An experiment that killed Jongin and was about to kill hundreds more.

He had pulled out his gun and shot the man right in between the eyes.

No one spoke a word to him since.

The plan the OPA hatched with some beltalowda and Roci’s crew met some resistance on Earth, even though there was no other option.

After an hour long video conference with the UN Under Secretary, Tycho was granted control over Earth’s missile arsenal - anything, to stop what was going on at Eros station.

Kyungsoo had no strength left.

His eyes were losing focus and he finally gave in; sleep was, after all, something he wasn't getting enough of the past few days.

He dreamt of silly coffee dates on one of Jupiter’s moons.

It was really silly - Kyungsoo never even drank coffee.

-

Baekhyun stormed into the room, a radio transmitter in his palm.

“You guys need to hear this.”

Chanyeol motioned for the rest of the Roci crew to gather around as the belter played the transmissions.

At first all Kyungsoo could hear was static and white noise, but somewhere underneath, barely recognisable, were voices. Human voices if the surprise on Chanyeol’s face was anything to go by.

“Is someone there? Still alive? “ Baekhyun's voice was alarmed.

“I have no idea. This is emanating from Eros but as we know, “ the man eyed Kyungsoo carefully before continuing, “Eros was dead last we we had eyes on it. Infected to the core. There's no way in hell something survived in there. “

“The research files indicated that the protomolecule was something far more intelligent that we first thought.”

“You think it's that  _thing_  that's talking?“ Kyungsoo searched for signs of worry on Chanyeol’s face.

“I have no idea. But we can't waste more time.” He turned towards the screen as the OPA agents came flocking in.

“The boss has agreed to your plan. “

Baekhyun gripped Chanyeol’s shoulder firmly. “I really hope this works.”

Kyungsoo couldn't bring himself to hope it will.

-

“No Baekhyun, I don't need to think about this. I am going.” Before the other man could protest any longer, he continued. “We need someone to get those nukes in place in case Plan F fails.”

“Plan F?”

“I think he means  _Plan Fucked_  Beak, “ Chanyeol added before Kyungsoo could reply.

“Do you think the OPA will fail in directing Nauvo on Eros’ course?”

Kyungsoo didn't know. But what he knew was that there wouldn't be another shot at it - Eros had already managed to go full stealth mode on them when the Earth entrusted the OPA their arsenal of nukes. Nukes that he had a feeling would come in handy to the rebels in the future; after the failed attempt of blowing Eros up, the OPA had most certainly gotten them back in their possession.

“I'll go as well.”

Luhan, the rock-hopping belter kept to himself most of the times, at least when he wasn't spewing nonsense and planing grand schemes that would somehow make him someone important in the whole uprising the Belt found itself in.

“No, you're not. This is not your mission to carry out. They need you here.“ Kyungsoo meant every word. This was a reckless plan, one that could go wrong at any given time, and they didn't need more innocent people dying in its realization.

“You need another man to help you plant the nukes. And I am going. I owe it to those that lost their lives on that damned rock.” Kyungsoo sighed. “As much as you feel like you owe it to that kid.”

“Then it's decided. You two will board Eros in time the OPA hijacks Nauvo. We'll board Roci, “ Chanyeol motioned for the remaining of the crew. “And make sure the nukes are in place before they use that generation ship as a battering ram. You don't want to be on board as it changes it's trajectory towards the Sun.”

Kyungsoo most certainly didn't want that. Neither did Luhan as he visibly flinched at the possibility of being burned alive.

-

Jongin was racing.

Faster than ever in his life. Faster even than Razorback.

Asteroid Belt turned into small dots in his mind and all he could hear, feel, was the call of his own name and a strange fondness to it.

He was racing back home.

And this time, he felt as if nothing could stop him.

-

“We need to do this quickly. Chanyeol, what’s the status of the Nauvo?” Kyungsoo gripped the railing as he landed at the outer dock on Eros station. The rock was now hurling at an even greater speed, his gravitational boots the only thing keeping him anchored and safe.

Luhan was moving towards him; the cart holding roughly around ten nukes being dragged behind.

The transmission buzzed for a moment before he could hear Chanyeol and the Rocinante crew.

“Nauvo is in position. They're initiating the sequence in roughly about five minutes. You need to get those in place before that. Understood?”

After a playful  _‘yes sir’_  from Kyungsoo and a bubbly laughter from Luhan the line cut off again.

“Let's do this kid. We don't have much time.”

They placed five nukes on the most strategic spots, according to Baekhyun. The outer shipping docks were huge, as was the Station itself, but all they needed was to strike few main nerves. The domino effect would take care of the rest.

Luhan’s voice resonated inside his helmet. “I fucked up.” A pause. “Big time. I'm at the south section at the main docking station. I need you here Kyungsoo, right now.”

He didn't need to be told twice. Turning off his radio, he positioned his final nuke before turning in the direction Luhan said he was.

There was a certain feeling of dread. As if something was tugging at his chest and making it constrict in a painful way. Before his mind could dwell on the feeling any further, he was approaching Luhan who had his palm pressed against the timer of a nuke.

“It malfunctioned. “ The belter spoke into his mic. “I tried to set the timer, but it's no use. It has to be detonated manually because if we leave it here now, we have only a minute before it goes off by itself. “

It was that moment, that single event in time that Kyungsoo knew would change his life. Or at least the little bit that was left of it.

His mind went back to that moment above the sink; strands of his hair falling down as he shaved his head for the first time in his life - just like all belters do. And that soft smile Jongin gave him as he faced himself in the mirror, it was a smile of approval. One he credited to that little radiation session and pain medication.

It was a subconscious pull, all the way from Ceres.

“I'll do it kid. Go back to Roci.”

Luhan’s eyes widened. “Kyungsoo there's no way in hell you can pull that off and escape on time, I-”

“I will. Don't worry. Just gotta time it perfectly, no big deal.” He could feel the deception in his own voice, but Luhan - the ever so optimistic one - seemed convinced enough to let go of the nuke and entrust it to Kyungsoo.

It was only minutes later, back on Roci, did the belter realize what Kyungsoo had done after seeing the looks on the faces of others.

It was a sacrifice. One that turned into a suicide mission as Eros defied all laws of physics and dodged Nauvo, hurtling towards Earth like a damn shooting star.

 

**_Present Moment 2472, Eros Station_ **

Crawling into the bowels of Eros proved to be much more difficult in the state the Station was currently in.

He had lost connection with Rocinante roughly one hundred meters into the station; the radio interference of Eros making it impossible to maintain communication. Their only option was to infiltrate the station and plant the explosive deep at the center but the nuke was heavy as he dragged it behind him - Kyungsoo wanted to curse out loud but all that left his lips was a soft defeated chuckle.

But what he most certainly didn't expect were the actual voices they've picked up at Tycho Station as radio signals.

Faint whispers of daring laughter and echoing  _‘catch me if you can’_  that seemed to have surrounded him.

The playfulness of the voices seemed to be in perfect synchronization with the floating pieces of the protomolecule - a soft dance-like fluid motions.

_‘you can’t beat Razorback’_

Kyungsoo froze.

That particular name came up more than once back on Ceres when he was digging up information on the Andromeda heir - a racing gem the kid’s father had given him as a gift. All of a sudden the fact that Eros had somehow managed to dodge Nauvo and change trajectory made perfect sense.

Jongin was dead, there was no mistake there; he had seen the body with his own two eyes. But somehow, he had infected back the protomolecule with his own subconsciousness altering its pathogen behaviour.

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to think.

The thought of the boy merged with the protomolecule as his subconsciousness had sent Eros hurtling towards Earth - towards home - was a devastating one.

The hybrid he had become, a host for the infection to grow and spread; a mere reflection of the kid he had seen in the photos at the heir’s personal file.

But coming into contact with the developed protomolecule - It was nothing Kyungsoo had imagined it to be. Back in the days, when he was three years old, he remembers reading a book someone had imported all the way from Earth. It was a shabby one, with half of the pages thorn, and he had barely managed to sneak it inside the orphanage. And it was the only thing that shed some light into his life that had been pretty miserable ever since.

Fireflies.

It was the first thing he thought about when he saw the protomolecule as it spreaded further into the crooks and streets of Eros station.

Bright blue and just dancing to a silent tune around his body suit.

It was serene.

And Kyungsoo had no idea how could something so beautiful be ten times as destructive.

The whispers were getting stronger as he found himself on the familiar path towards Blue Falcon. His mind went back to Jongin, decomposing in the tub - the protomolecule infesting his body down to the bones.

The timer on the bomb went off and he realized he had removed his hand from the trigger, body subconsciously moving towards the walls where the concentration of the blue substance was the strongest.

Returning his hand to the original position the timer stopped, giving him another minute before it would go off again.

He couldn’t help but feel guilty. If only he had his hands on this case sooner, if only he had his full attention and resources on finding Jongin, if only- if only.

The whispers were getting stronger with each step, and the melodious laughter of the boy’s voice was playful.

 _‘I’ll race you back home~’_  rang past his ear and he couldn’t help the smile that stretched on his face.

The intensity of the color blue was almost blinding as he took his first step inside the small apartment they’ve first found Jongin in. There, in the center, was the boy’s body - as bright as the sky pictures from Earth depicted.

The strings of the virus held his body in a form of a makeshift bed; the blue ropes not enveloping his body, Kyungsoo noticed - but emerging from it as they spread further into the corners of the room and the station.

It was Jongin. All of it was Jongin and Kyungsoo felt the urge to tear at them and release the kid from it.

“Jongin?” He spoke as he moved forward, the bomb being dragged behind him. “You need the wake up now kid.” He could feel his own voice quivering. In that moment the timer went off again and he hastily pressed it to restart.

The sound of it snapped Jongin out of his trance, his eyes coming into focus as he turned his head towards Kyungsoo. “Hey…” He moved closer towards the boy. “Can you hear me? You need to come back to me now.”

Jongin’s eyes were frantic as he tried to take in the situation; everything felt so unfamiliar. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt sore as if he had been screaming for days. Kyungsoo moved closer still.

“Whe- where am I?”

Kyungsoo tried to move in a way that would not make the boy feel threatened. “You’re on Eros kid, Eros station.” At the frantic searching eyes of the by he continued. “I know… not quite what it used to be.”

“What happened to me?” Jongin followed his steps as the man circled around him only to come to a stop where his head was supported mid air by the sheer force of the protomolecule. “I don’t like it!”

Kyungsoo swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Hey, I- Uhm I don’t think we have officially met. I’m Do Kyungsoo, I used to be a cop back on Ceres, when I was - supposed to find you. Bring you home.”

Jongin eyed him in a daze. “My kidnapping.” The color of the virus sparked with intensity. “They left me here alone, they never came back for me!” Kyungsoo could feel the hurt in his voice. The countdown timer on the bomb reminded him they didn’t have much time.

“Jongin, listen to me. This station, this rock, is headed fast for Earth-”

“I dreamed, that I was…. Racing.” A smile bloomed on Jongin’s face. “That I was going home.”

Kyungsoo’s heart ached. “Yeah, but - we’re gonna need to stop that Jongin.”

Jongin’s face turned into a frown; the shades of blue darkening underneath the eyelids. “No, “ the kid shook his head. “You can't take my Razorback! “

“Jongin, you need to listen to me. “ Kyungsoo tried to ignore the ache in his own chest. “You are driving this, just like the Razorback. Do you know that? “

His heart almost broke at the grieving evident in Jongin’s voice. “I miss Earth… “

“I know kid, but.. You can't go to Earth. “

Before Jongin could protest, he continued. “If we go to Earth, a lot of people will die. The same people you're fighting for.”

Kyungsoo could feel him fighting against it. Could see the strain in his muscles and veins on the forehead - Jongin was trying.

“I can't make it stop, it won't let me! Please, don't make me do this! “

Jongin was in pain, the protomolecule - although allowing him a certain amount of control - was fighting back; the rock had to hit something.

“What about Venus? We don't have to go to Earth, right?” Jongin eyed him curiously. “We're heading that way anyway. “

The timer went off. As Jongin’s head snapped towards it, Kyungsoo took a deep breath. In less than ten steps he was next to the bomb, hand hovering from the timer.

With each beep that indicated a second closer to the explosion, he let his thoughts wander. What if he didn't press it?

What if he let the damned thing explode then and there, with Eros hurling on its course and Jongin’s confused eyes watching his every move. Would that be a good end?

Deciding against it, the buzzer stopped as his palm came into contact with it. He dragged the bomb towards the kid.

“I never left Ceres before, did you know that? This was the first time for me. And I came a long way to find you. “ He smiled at Jongin fondly. “I believe in you. I believe you're a fighter and I know you can do it. “

Jongin sounded defeated. “I can't steer it. I just, “ a single tear slid down his cheek before his eyes filled with unshed ones. “I'm done fighting. “ A sob escaped him as his lips trembled. “I just want to go home. “

It hurt. More than he thought it would be possible - watching Jongin cry. He was just a kid with big dreams and hopes, and look where it got him. Racing towards his own death. Kyungsoo’s hand moved on instinct and he wiped the tears on the boy’s face. “We can't go home Jongin, I'm sorry.”

Jongin leaned into the touch, the blue around them pulsing for a brief second.

“I need you to know, “ Kyungsoo fought back the urge to cry himself. “Whatever happens, wherever you go, you're not gonna do it alone. I'm here. “

As the timer went off again, Kyungsoo took Jongin’s hand; even through the gloves it felt more real than he expected it to. “I need you to hold something for me, please? “

“I can't feel my hands. “ Confusion was evident in Jongin’s voice as if his mind hadn't yet come to terms with where they were and what happened to him.

“It's alright, I got you. Here, hold this for a minute and don't let go.“

“What is this?“

Kyungsoo’s heart broke then and there. “It- it won't hurt you.”

He knew there was no other choice. No second shot at anything. They were there, on a huge rock that's set to destroy something in its path, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. To save them. Save Jongin.

Unhooking his helmet he slowly removed the thing from his head, face immediately coming into contact with the infected air as he breathed in the firefly-like particles of the protomolecule.

The gloves and zipper followed next; his suit coming off the upper half of his body and hanging around his hips.

This time, as he took it against his own, Jongin’s palm felt more than real, perfect even. Everything felt so much intense - being exposed to the virus like that.

“What happens to us now? “ Jongin’s voice was calm now, just a hint of fear lurking underneath.

“I don't know. “ Kyungsoo wanted to be honest. “We die, maybe, “ And the forced laugh that followed those words was like a knife to the heart - Jongin deserved more, so much more. “And if we don't die, well, that would be interesting. “

Kyungsoo didn't flinch as the palm in between his own moved to caress his cheek.

“But whatever happens, happens to both of us. It's gonna be okay. “ His lips moved and kissed the boy’s palm.

The thing Kyungsoo regretted the most was that the smile Jongin had on his face before he spoke his last words was not one he should've seen at some random place as they meet each other for the first time.

A smile such was his deserved a separate moment in time and space - a moment that would last for an eternity. And Kyungsoo could all but see his own dumbstruck expression at this smile Jongin would’ve certainly had on his face when they met for the first time.

And Jongin couldn't quite tell what spoke his next words - the protomolecule or his own shattered heart that met kindness and sacrifice one last time on this race through life. All he knew was that he was tired. Tired of racing. The Razorback turned into bright particles of dust in the back of his mind, and he lost his ride home.

But would home ever feel the same even if none of the things that did, happened?

Jongin knew the answer.

And as his palm pulled Kyungsoo in and the bright blue turned turquoise green for a split second, Jongin didn't care. He was going home, Razorback was racing. As were his own lips towards Kyungsoo’s in sync with the timer of the bomb going off one last time.

“You belong with me.“

Jongin’s lips were warm and salty as more tears followed the path of the old ones. Kyungsoo’s own heart was racing faster than Rocinante through the Asteroid Belt.

One last second on the timer and turbulence almost as shaky as their own breaths.

One silent clash and two pairs of irises expanding to infinity.

It was a supernova, almost quite literally.

 

 -

**Author's Note:**

> i apologize if my take on The Expanse universe was far from the show itself - i tried my best to keep up with it! i hope those of you that have read this little piece enjoyed it as much as i did writing it; kaisoo is my guilty pleasure and i just had to beam them into this version of space! don't forget to read other works this fest brings, and leave as much love for the authors as you can! ☆


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